Triple valve bracket



April 13, 1943. T.H.B|RH 2,3%,218

TRIPLE VALYE BRACKET Aprills, 1943. 1 T, HBIRCH 2,316,218

` I. ATRIPLE vALvE RAcKET Filled April 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 13, 1943 I UNITED `STATES `FATENT OFFICE Y i 1 H l I 2,316,218 i TRIPLE VALVE BRACKET Thomas Henry Birch, Wauwatosa, Wis.

Application April 2, 1941,` Serial No. 386,447 aoiaims. (ci. sors-#1) My invention relates to a bracket especially intended for the L type of triple valve employed in the air brakeA system of railroad passenger cars, namely a bracket adapted to be appliedlto the pressure head of the brake cylinder at the point where the triple valve is generally applied, that is to say, the bracket is intended for the type of valve known as the pipeless valve, with al1-pipe connections being made to the pressure head of the brake cylinder.

`The invention has for its object the provision of a bracket whereby the valve is applied in vertical position to the pressure head of the cylinder without need for changing any of the pipe connections andthus causes the valve to be vertically positioned and allowed to float, as it were, and consequently obviates the wear encountered at the lower side of the valve (which is of considerable Weight) when arranged in horizontal position (the usual position of valve as at present employed) and whichcauses the valve to function improperly. y

Another object of the invention is the provision of a bracket provided with ports adapted to register with the respective ports of the triple valve and the ports in the pressure head of he cylinder whereby air flow between the valve and the cylinder passes through the respective ports of the bracket whichmaintains the valve in upright iposition and consequently reduces the friction on the main piston and the slide valve and permits any wear on the bushing of the main piston in the triple valve to be uniform throughout the entire circumference of the bushing.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a ported bracket whereby the triple valve will' be vertically positioned and the diiiiculty heretofore encountered of movement of the valve into undesired emergency position, due to excessive friction on the slide-valve, eliminated; the invention providing improved main piston andslide valve action due to the fact that the weight of the main piston and the slide valve combined is a factor in moving the main piston to release position, whereas in the present day arrangement the movement; of the main piston and the slide valve is dependent entirely upon differentials of air pressures on opposite sides of the piston.

Furthermore, with the present arrangement dirt or foreign matter lodges between the slide valve and the slide valve seat and causes the valve and seat to become scored which results in leaka age; whereas, with my arrangement this condition is eliminated bocause the dirt can readily free itself, and consequently great economy in maintenance and operation results.

The objects and advantages, as well as other advantages inherent in the invention. will all be readily comprehended from the detailed description of the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l illustrates my improved bracket and triple valve inside elevation and applied to the Y pressure head of the cylinder "of which only a portion is shown.

Figure 2 is a rear view of my improved bracket with portions broken away and shown in section.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the bracket, takenon the line 3 3 of Figure 2', viewed in the direction of the arrows.

p Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the bracket` taken on theV line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows. Y

' Figure 5 is across sectional View taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 3 looking downward.

The exemplication of the invention comprises a single piece casting I5 of angular shape having an upright or vertical portion I5 and a base or lower portion I'I, the upper face whereof is disposed at right angles to the rear face of the Vertif cal portion I5.

The upper end of the vertical wall I6 is shown with an annular flat faced boss portion llia which matches the usual bolting face on the ported train line and air line receiving extension I8 on the head l 9 of the brake cylinder Zl.

The rear face of the boss portion Il;it of the bracket is provided with suitable bolt-holes 2I which receive the bolts whereby the bracket is secured in place; and this rear face o-f the portion I5a is also provided with a central opening 22 Iand with suitably positioned openings: or ports 23, 24, 25, 25 and 26,' whileopening 22 communicates with a port 2l which is located between port 26 and the forwardwall of the upright portion I6 of the bracket. These ports all extend downwardly in the upright portion I6 and laterally into the base portion I 'i of the bracket and all terminate in the upper face of Vthe Ibase portion which is also provided with a central opening 23 which corresponds to the Vopening 22 and is connected `therewith by the port 2l.

The bracket is preferably provided at opposite sides with reenforcing webs. 29, 29.

The ported rear bolting face I6a of the bracket is identical with the present lbolting face on the brake cylinders at present employed on railroad passenger cars; while the upper ported face of the base portion Il of the bracket corresponds with the bolting face on the present day type of triple valve; the ported upper face of base portion I7 being intended to receive the portedbolting face of the triple valve shown generally at 30 1 in Figure 1. That is toV say, the ports in my improved 'bracket in reality constitute extensions or continuations of the ports formed in the 4brake cylinder as at present employed. With the ported bolting face of the triple valve disposed downwardly and secured on the ported horizontal face of the base of the bracket, instead of against the vertical face of the cylinder head, as is the present practice, it is apparent that the triple valve will be positioned vertically instead of horizontally.

The various ports of the 'bracket correspond to` the respective ports in the pressure head of the brake cylinder and in the attaching face of the triple valve and therefore perform the same functions; that is to say, port 2li in the bracket constitutes an extension of the exhaust ports in the cylinder head and in the attaching face of the triple valve-port 24 corresponds to the supplemental reservoir port of the triple valve and brake cylinder-ports 25, 25 correspond to the brake pipe ports, of which one or the other is used depending upon the side of the car from which the pipe connection is made, at which time the other port automatically blanks itself-port 2tA corresponds to what is known as thev brake cylinder port thro-ugh which air passes to' the brake cylinder' and air returns for release-and port ET (which terminates in the enlarged lopening 22)l corresponds to similar ports in the cylinder head Y andl in the triple valve and known as the auxiliary reservoir port. The orificesv of the various ports in the bracket are positioned in keeping with the corresponding ports in the attaching faces of the cylinder and of the triple Valve and hencethe ports through the bracket in reality constitute extensions of the respective ports of the cylinder and the triple valve.

The horizontally disposed base portion of the bracket on its upper face is shown provided with stud-bolts 3 I, positioned to register with the usual bolt receiving holes in the attaching flange ci the triple valve shown at in Figure 1.

As the respective air flow connections are in no way altered by my improved bracket, detail showing of the ports in the cylinder pressure head and in the triple valvev is not deemed necessary as their construction and purposes are well known.

In present day practice, with the triple valve connected directly to the pressure head of the cylinder, the triple valve extends horizontally fro-m thev cylinder and hence the' piston with its associated elements are disposed in ahorizontal direction, and consequently the weight of the piston causes a hollow spot to be Worn in the piston bushing at the lower side of the piston, which in turn causes Imain piston ring leakage and .prevents a proper release oi the-brake, depending upon the amount of wear that has taken place, allowing' the brake shoes to drag and to set up a dangerouscondition. Furthermore, with the present day ar'- rangement dirt or foreign matter becomes lodged n between the slide valve and the slide valve-seat,

causing a scoring oi the valve and the seat Whichresults in air leakage and hence necessitates irequent renovation or replacement.

l With my improved bracket, the triple valve and its r'contained piston will be vertically disposed and wear on the bushing of the main piston fwillA bey uniform throughout the entire circumference oi'-A the bushing and production of the aforementioned leak'spots will be prevented and a pro-per release of the brakes will obtain and the danger ofclraggng shoes will be eliminated. Then too,

the lodgement of dirtor foreign matter between the slide valve and seat, due to the verticali disposition of thetriple valve, will beimpossible and hence the scoring of the valve and its seat willv not occur.

In the ipresent day arrangement of the triple valve with its main piston disposed horizontally, movement of the main piston and slide valve is entirely dependent upon diierentials of air pressures on opposite sides of the piston; whereas in my proposed arrangement with the triple valve with its contained main piston disposed vertically, the Weight of the main piston and slide valve combined constitute a factor in moving the main piston to release position; and then too, the eX- cessive friction between the slide valve and its seat encountered in the present day arrangement is obviated and movement of the valve into undesired emergency position (at times occuring as a result of excessive friction) is prevented.

My improved bracket, with the triple valve' disposed in vertical position, in actual practice has resulted in a more perfect functioning of the triple valve than has heretofore been'l the case; while atv the same time application. of my'bracket to present equipment may be made without changes in the air brake piping; and the use of my bracket will result in great economy in maintenance and. operation.

The construction of bracket shown in the drawings is believed to' be the best embodiment of the invention, but modicationsmay be pos-y sible without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A bracket for supporting and pneumatically connecting the triple valve to the brake cylinder of the air brake system of a railr-oad car ,compris-A ing a single piece' angular' casting' having a vertical portion. and a horizontally disposed base portion integral with the lower end oi the vertical portion,l the upper end of the vertical portion having. a ,ported rear face matching the ported at taching face of the brake cylinder extension and' adapted to' be secured thereto, while' the horizontally disposed base portion' has a ported upper' face matching the ported attaching face of lthe triple valvev of an air brake system and'v to' sup--l port the latter thereon in vertical position, saidcasting being provided with continuous passages between the respective ports in theveitically and theV horizontally disposed faces.

2. A bracket for supporting the triple valve ci a railroad car air brake system comprising,J in combination with the" ported head ol la horizon; tally disposed brake cylinder and the ported; facel at one end ot a triple valve',r acastihg having avertical portion with a vertically disposed ported attaching faceA at the upper end' onv its' rear side `and a horizontal portion disposed laterally from the. lower end of the vertical portion and termi nating at its outer end in a horizontal upwardly disposed portedv attaching face, said casting' havingl a plurality of ,continuous passages betweentherespective ports in the two attaching faces, the ports in the rst mentioned face matching the portsvin the .vertically disposed cylinder head and the ports in the second mentioned face matching the ports in one end of the triple valve; the. horizontally disposed face. being providedV with upstanding stud bolt-s arranged to' match the bolt"- holes in the .ported face'of the triple valvewhereby the latter isv held in upright position; and' means for' securing the bracket tothe cylinder head; f

THOMAS HENRY BrRGl-l. 

